General Mills Recalls Nature Valley Products

Cereal giant, General Mills, just announced a recall of some of its â€œNut Loversâ€ Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters product that contain pecans.

General Mills took the action as a precaution because, it said, pecans received from a supplier and used in â€œNut Loversâ€ Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters may be tainted with Salmonella.

No other types of nuts; other flavors or varieties of Granola Nut Clusters; no other types, varieties, or flavors of Nature Valley products; and no Nature Valley granola bar products or General Mills products are involved or being recalled. Also, no illnesses have yet been reported in connection with the â€œNut Loversâ€ Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters product.

The recalled â€œNut Loversâ€ Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters product is a new bite-size cluster sold in a stand-up bag in grocery stores, convenience stores, and vending outlets nationally. Specific Nut Lovers flavor products with five specific â€œbest if used by datesâ€ are being recalled. The five â€œbest if used by datesâ€ are:

07MAR2010
08MAR2010
09MAR2010
10MAR2010
11MAR2010

General Mills is urging consumers in possession of the products covered under this recall to dispose of the product and contact General Mills for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact General Mills toll-free at 1-800-231-0308.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious, sometimes fatal, infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Rarely, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism entering the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis.

Some Salmonella bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, largely due to the use of antibiotics to promote the growth of feed animals. Salmonella is usually found in food contaminated with animal feces and is a group of bacteria that passes from the feces of people or animals to other people or animals, causing contamination when food is improperly stored or handled and when preparers do not wash their hands or sanitize implements involved in food storage.

Salmonella is the most frequently reported cause of food-related outbreaks of stomach illness worldwide and Salmonella poisoning can lead to Reiterâ€™s Syndrome, a difficult-to-treat reactive arthritis characterized by severe joint pain, irritation of the eyes, and painful urination.